Astros’ 2005-07 drafts: Black hole for talent

Last summer, Dan Peschong asked you to pinpoint the tipping point that turned the Astros into a perennial second division organization. You suggested everything from the firing of Gerry Hunsicker and Larry Dierker to the organization not recognizing it was time to rebuild or the Miguel Tejada or Jason Jennings trades.

Indeed, there is a myriad of possibilities that might suggest when the tide actually turned.

Now, as the Astros prepare for the annual June draft next week, you need not look further than the selections, facts and statistics from the last decade to get an eagle’s eye view of why the organization is working on its third straight losing season and sixth in a row without playoffs.

In fact, the promise of first round choices like Brett Wallace (not by Houston, of course), Jason Castro and now Jordan Lyles (all taken in the first round of that 2008 draft), strongly advances the premise of building an organization and major league roster from at least the early rounds of the draft.

So consider these thoughts:

From 1990-99, the Astros drafted 18 players in the first round (including supplemental picks).

From 2000-09, Houston made nine first round selections.

But in the 2000s, only four players — Brian Bogusevic, Jordan Lyles, Chris Burke and Jason Castro — have worn an Astros’ jersey.

In the 90s, 11 first rounders played in the majors, including Brad Lidge, Lance Berkman, Scott Elarton, Phil Nevin and Billy Wagner.

But that’s only part of the story. If you want to see the definition of barren or bereft, take a look at the 2005 draft. Only Bogusevic and Tommy Manzella — both from Tulane, by the way — made it to the majors. Pretty bleak, eh?

Okay, now check out the 2006 draft. Yes, that’s right, out of 50 picks in the draft, only Bud Norris and Chris Johnson have become major leaguers.

Keeping track? Okay, let me help here. Out of 100 picks in the 2005 and 2006 drafts, only four players played in the majors. Count ’em, four!

Talk about a tipping point! And you wonder why there is no talent in the minor league system? It’s not as though these players were traded away and made it somewhere else. They never made it to the major leagues…anywhere!

Oh, you’d like to know more? Why, click here to see the 2007 draft. All that empty, white space in the middle means 42 of the 44 players taken in that draft have never played in the majors.

Granted, some of these players who were drafted in 2006-07 — and, yes, perhaps even 2005 — could appear in the majors eventually, but they don’t portend to be difference-makers. To be sure, there doesn’t appear to be any Oswalts, Berkmans or Bagwells still learning the ropes in the minors from those three years.

If you’re keeping score at home, from 2005-2007, the Astros were 5-for-144 in draft picks. Just to reiterate, that’s 5 out of 144 picks in ALL rounds of those drafts ever played in the major leagues. Think about that. Try to get your mind around that. Come to grips with that.

Obviously, the jury is still out on Ed Wade and Bobby Heck and we won’t know the full results of their drafts for a few years. But the first two players they chose — Castro and Lyles — are in the majors and there are plenty of others who are making noise throughout the system. It’s a new day and Astros’ fans will be watching closely on Monday and Tuesday.

This time, though, fans and onloookers will perhaps watch with anticipation and excitement rather than a “Who is that?” response.